Z-side View

With a tentative agreement made the group leaves the temporary refuge of the decimated shopping district and moved toward Shizuka Marikawa's home, which was the rooftop apartment a mile or so away from where they were.

This, of course, means yet battles with the relentless undead. Thankfully for the group, Michael actually takes part this time, dealing with most of the threats while the other combatants pick off any zombies that were approaching from the side streets or from behind.

The whole time though, Michael couldn't help but feel a certain someone's eyes on him. The purple-haired swordswoman Saeko attempted to hide her focus but had failed to look away most of the time when Michael had turned towards her.

It was kind of unnerving, to be honest, to have an older, incredibly sexy girl to be lusting after him not even a day after meeting her. A few others notice this as well, Takashi, Rei, and Saya, but none say anything for now.

Speaking of which, he'd gotten to know the group a little better during all of this. And, frankly, he couldn't see himself being friends with anyone except maybe Kohta and the Shizuka. Takashi had a stick up his ass as well as a permanent hard-on for Rei, meaning that anything she says goes.

Rei was a stuck up bitch as well, continually questioning the group's choices while treating Takashi, the one person who truly cared about her, like shit.

Saya was a loudmouth and continually questioned him on his magic, origins, robes, etc. That wouldn't usually be enough to annoy him, but her similarities with Louise already had his opinion of her twisted to start off.

He got on fine with the others though, Kohta being your typical otaku, specializing in all things firearms and having a ridiculous affinity with them... If there was magic in this world, Michael wondered if the guy would turn himself into a gun...

He wasn't too sure how to act around Saeko for obvious reasons, and Shizuka. The air-headed nurse made it far too easy to tease and flirt with her, he knew she wasn't doing it intentionally, but Michael felt that this girl was a prime target to be taken advantage of.

The only reason he could guess that she hadn't been, was because of her close relationship with a 'soldier' called Rika Minami. That was all well and good in the past, but, now in the apocalypse? She needed to wise up or get fucked up... Literally.

Riki Minami was actually also the main reason why the group were headed to Shizuka's home as opposed to anywhere else. Apparently, the soldier had been 'safe-keeping' a bunch of firearms and weaponry locked up in their apartment... For what reason? Who knew, but Michael knew for sure that it wouldn't be for self-defence, especially since this was Japan.

"Ah! We're here!" Shizuka utters as she points up to an apartment with a visible balcony not far from them.

"Let's hope the city still has water, I NEED a shower after all of this!" Rei says while looking down at her formerly white school uniform which was now a deep shade of crimson and stinking like a slaughterhouse. To top it off, she sends a glower at Saeko who'd been responsible for most of it.

The swordswoman hums unaffected, "Perhaps you should have stayed out of the 'splash-zone' then, Miss Miyamoto?"

Rei sniffs in response, "Maybe you should have stayed with Shido then, 'Ojou-sama'. Acting like an animal with then would suit you."

"Alright, alright both of you stop. We're almost there so just calm down until then. We're all stressed, but fighting over nothing helps no one right now!" Takashi exclaims, silencing the duo for now.

Not six minutes later, the group cuts their way through the small hoard in front of the building and makes their way up the stairs. Michael stayed behind to clean up any stragglers that were wandering too close for comfort... They might not be able to break down the door, but hearing them moan and groan all night would get annoying quickly.

In the apartment, Shizuka lets out a long sigh of relief and throws herself onto her large couch, pushing her face into one of its cushions, "Hooome, sweet home!~"

The boys smile at her cute actions but the girls shake their heads, "Come on Marikawa-sensei, we should bathe before the water goes out permanently." Rei says, dragging the already half-passed out nurse with her.

"Hey, why do you get to go first?" Kohta objects but pauses when the girl's glare at him with hostility. "*Ahem*, never mind... Go ahead..."

After the girls leave Takashi glances at Kohta and shrugs, "Soo, you wanna find where the guns are stored?"

The otaku grins back enthusiastically, "Do I!?"

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In the bathroom :

"So, what do you guys think of Michael?" Saeko suddenly asks, interrupting the room's solemn silence. Now that they'd had time to calm down and process everything that has happened, everyone but Saeko was in no mood to chat or play around.

"Busujima-san, I know you want to talk about your new crush but, I really couldn't care less about him right now." Saya mopes, glaring down at the bath she was sitting in.

"C-crush?" Saeko mutters with her cheeks reddening, causing Saya to scoff.

"That's what I mean. If you want to screw him then go ahead, just leave the rest of us out of your annoying drama." she grouses bitterly.

Rei just shakes her head, "Like you're any better, Takagi. I know some wives who don't talk to their men as much as you do to him."

Saya growls, "I ask questions because I have to! No one else seems to give a shit about the existence of magic, but I do! It changes everything! From science, mathematics, philosophy, even evolution and human nature itself! The rest of you are too dim-witted to care though, wanting to just hit things instead!"

"Us 'hitting things' is what saved your life, Takagi. If you weren't so weak then maybe you could do something other than talk non-stop." Rei says while scrubbing her hair down with some shampoo, deliberately ignoring the bits of dried blood and brain matter that were circling the drain.